Factors for consideration

1
Municipal Development PartnershipEastern And
Southern Africa Capacity Building Workshop for
Urban Local Authorities in Ethiopia from October
2-3, 2003October 2-3, 2003 Paper on Regional
Perspectives of Capacity Building Highlights of
Experiences and Lessons learned from Urban
Capacity Building Initiatives across Eastern and
Southern Africa By George Matovu MDP-ESA
2
Purpose of the Paper

• To present an overview of the African regional
  perspectives on capacity building for urban local
  governments
• To highlight the challenges and opportunities of
  the time.
• To share the MDP the experience of MDP
• To provoke thoughts and discussions that will add
  value to the design and implementation of urban
  development policies in Ethiopia.

3
Structure of the Paper

• Introduction
• Situational Assessment
• What constitutes capacity building.
• Perspectives and ideas on capacity building
• Perspective on training Institutions
• Conclusions

4
Factors for consideration

• The conditions under which local government
  officials should be expected to demonstrate
  accountability and transparency.
• The kind of capacity building programs that
  respond to the needs of local government and need
  to be developed.
• The kind of institutions that should be involved
  in delivering such programs and
• How can local government be encouraged to take
  advantage of capacity building when it is
  available.

5
Parameters of the World Bank

• Municipalities are considered functional when
• they are
• Liveable - must ensure a decent quality of life
  and equitable opportunity for all residents
• Productive and competitive
• Well governed and managed
• Financially sustainable, or bankable.

6
The image of African towns

• Overcrowded
• Unplanned settlements
• Huge piles of rubbish and filth
• High levels of unemployment
• Run-down infrastructure
• Poor services
• Centres of poverty
• High crime rate

7
Situational Analysis

• Poverty 340 million people of Africas
  population live on less than US 1 per day
• The mortality rate of children under five years
  of age is 140 per 1000, and life expectancy at
  birth is only 54 years.
• Rural poverty is more often recognised and
  addressed.

8
Results

• Poor people cannot pay taxes or support public
  services without substantial levels of government
  funding
• The very poor cannot contribute in a productive
  manner to the development
• The poor cannot participate in community
  activities

9
HIV/AIDS

• Sub-Saharan Africa is by far the region most
  affected by HIV / AIDS in the world. The region
  which inhabits only 10 of the worlds
  population, accounts for 70 of the people living
  with HIV/AIDS worldwide, 83 of the deaths
  related to AIDS, and 95 of the orphans due to
  AIDS (UNAIDS 2002).

10
Results

• The epidemic has
• Increased the demand on the health care systems,
• Reduced life expectancy to 38 years and increased
  infant mortality,
• Reduced the ability of citizens to pay for
  services and taxes,
• Threatened productivity due to absenteeism and
  loss of skills, and
• Increased the number of orphans and child headed
  households.

11
Sectarianism and elitism

• In African public administration, there is a
• pervasive perception of us and them.
• Central government Vs. local government
  officials. Local government officials are
  considered less competent
• Municipal managers Vs. the poor. The urban poor
  largely as aliens in the urban areas who should
  return to the rural areas to till the land.

12
Infrastructure

• Urban authorities are having difficulties
  building and maintaining their infrastructure
  partly due to the high cost of imported inputs
  but also due to bad styles of management and
  governance. (Lack of visionary leadership,
  corruption, inefficiency)
• The infrastructure that was left behind by the
  colonial masters has crumbled without building
  news ones.

13
Decentralisation and urbanisation

• The process of democratic decentralisation is
  taking place at a time when the Africa region is
  urbanizing at one of the most rapid rates in the
  world. Unfortunately however, the capacity to
  plan, manage and administer has been overwhelmed
  by the rapid population growth which is rated at
  an average if 5 per cent. Urban planners and
  managers have not been able to react well to this
  growth.

14
Capacity building is more than just improving the
skills and competencies of public officials.

• to spend substantial sums of money training
  officials only for them to come back to find that
  they cannot operate effectively because the local
  government has no working vehicle or telephone,
  or typewriter can seriously undermine morale.
• Professor Akin Mobugunje, 1991

15
Establishing a shared vision, unity of purpose
and goals

• It does not help to train individuals when the
  organisational vision is unclear, organisational
  culture is unhelpful, and structure is confusing
  or obtuse. It does not help to secure resources
  when the organisation is not equipped to carry
  out its tasks. It does not help to develop
  information management systems when the basic
  organisational attitude is one which rejects
  learning.
• Deborah Eade (2001)

16
Removing obstacles

• Capacity building is not only growth and
  expansion. It is also about removing obstacles
  (such as outdated bye-laws) and altering
  processes, approaches, and attitudes.
• Kim Forss and Pelenomi Venson, 1999

17
Regional Perspectives on Capacity Building

• Institution Capacity Building was considered
  critical to galvanizing transformations
• Use of young expatriates and aid workers was
  introduced as a cheap strategy and mechanism for
  establishing required capacity in place
• Scholarship were provided to enable young
  professionals to study abroad to acquire not only
  knowledge but also the right attitudes and work
  culture
• The institutional capacity building was welcome
  but had clear flaws
• Wide spread poverty and the social costs of
  economic structural adjustment forced governments
  and donors to review capacity of institutions to
  alleviate poverty
• Decentralisation and democratisation was
  considered to be an effective tool for building
  capacity for good governance and promoting
  quality of life of the urban poor
• Addressing attitudes and behaviors was considered
  critical in moving decentralisation forward
• Establish honest behaviour and government is key
  to sustainable capacity building

18
Regional Perspectives on Capacity Building

• Broadening participation in municipal governance
  enhances the capacity of municipal governance to
  incorporate the demand side in decision making
• Given the complexity of urban issues, it is vital
  to promote a multi-disciplinary approach to
  capacity building for sustainable urban
  development
• Promoting civic participation in municipal
  governance means promoting productive working
  relations between those who govern and those who
  are governed
• Private Sector involvement is needed to enhance
  efficiency in service delivery
• Understanding Central-Local Relations is a
  necessary condition for enhancing municipal
  capacity to undertake the decentralised functions
• Building and Improving Municipal Financial
  Capacity is key to successful democratic
  decentralisation
• Civic education is a significant input to
  empowering citizens and an effect way of
  counteracting the culture of socio-political
  apathy
• Every individual no matter whatever level need to
  be capacitated to better address challenges
  facing municipal government
• The media need to be introduced to local
  government to facilitate public education

19
Institutional Capacity Building Approach early
1980s

• The focus was on
• Reviewing and adjusting internal organisational
  structures and systems
• Emphasising lean and flat organisations.
• Rehabilitation of institutions such as
  universities, roads, or building new facilities
  all together.
• Use of young expatriates and aid workers to cover
  capacity gaps
• Providing scholarships for young professionals to
  study abroad

20
Shortfalls in the Institutional Capacity Building
Approach

• Interventions tended to be supply, donor and
  expatdriven.
• There was no meaningful beneficiary participation
  
• There was no appreciation of corporate
  governance, shared vision, values and principles,
  transparency, accountability, honesty and
  integrity.
• Government departments were not sufficiently
  prepared to take lead in promoting public
  administration reforms.
• There was shortage of skilled/ motivated manpower
  to manage/rehabilitated or newly established
  institutions.
• Lack of capacity for sector policy analysis,
  project design, management, monitoring and
  evaluation
• Governments responded by importing expatriates
  from all over the world mainly from their former
  colonial masters.

21
Capacity building for poverty reduction

• The design and management of poverty alleviation
  programs and projects
• Systematic analysis of issues related to poverty
• Facilitating exchange of experiences and
  innovative practices on how local authorities are
  addressing the issue of poverty and its
  manifestations
• Strengthen the capacity of central and local
  government and NGOs to formulate and implement
  sector policies, programs and projects which
  would contribute to sustained reduction of
  poverty.

22
Decentralisation

• Towards the end of 1980s, there was a clear
  policy
• shift which
• Promoted decentralising/devolving powers and
  responsibilities to local government,
• Called for establishment of good governance with
  emphasis on accountability, transparency, and
  integrity
• Promoted democratic governance
• Called for meaningful community participation and
  the principle of subsidiarity, and
• Called for creating space for involvement of
  non-state actors (from civil society, NGO sector
  and private sector) in municipal governance,
  local development, and delivery of services
• Emphasized capacity building for capacity
  building.

23
Understanding Decentralisation

• It emerged that decentralisation is
• a multi-faceted complex political process and
  required a multi-sectoral approach, which
  includes intensive coordination of various
  government ministries/ departments.
• a complex process involving political, fiscal,
  and administrative considerations
• supposed to take different forms including
  devolution, deconcentration, delegation or
  privatization of services of government.
• Subject to conflicting interests e.g politicians,
  traditionalists, donors
• not a sufficient condition to guarantee poverty
  reduction and economic growth.
• It requires a human resources base that
  understands the complexity of
• the challenges.

24
Addressing attitudes Reflection of Mr. Kingunge
Ngombale-Mwiru Minister of Local Government,
Tanzania

• Devolution of powers and resources to local
  government authorities in essence means taking
  away the same from Government ministries and
  institutions, which is in itself a big challenge.
  No ministry or centralised institution will
  willingly give up power and resources. In order
  for decentralisation to succeed, serious
  sensitisation of the entire political leadership
  should be undertaken, and a common vision of the
  model of decentralisation should be agreed upon
  and guided by law. The community should also be
  sensitised and mobilised so that they understand
  the benefits which go with decentralisation and
  empowerment, so that they will own and cherish
  the process.

25
Establishing Local Integrity Systems

• Col. Max Ngandwe, former President of IULA and
  Mayor of Kabwe Municipal Councils in Zambia once
  said ...no amount of resources or effort can
  yield sustainable development and satisfactory
  service delivery in the absence of local
  integrity systems which prevent the scourge of
  corruption.
• Studies in Eastern and Southern Africa have
  revealed no matter how small the level of
  corruption, the practice results in inducing
  wrong decisions and projects, unqualified
  individuals being awarded contracts, delivery of
  sub-standard services and ultimately erosion of
  public confidence in public service and formal
  institutions.
• There is therefore need to (a) raise awareness of
  the effects of corruption with regard to services
  delivery (b) promoting service delivery surveys
  (c) empower various pillars of local government
  through workshops and seminars (d) develop
  leadership codes of conduct (v) develop clear
  public procurement processes which are
  understandable, transparent, open, competitive,
  and fair and (vi) promote development of
  charters for building integrity

26
Promoting civic participation

• There is need to strengthen the capacities of
  both civil society and local governments to work
  together more productively to design and
  implement development programs.
• Civic participation was viewed to be an effective
  vehicle to shift decision making from top-bottom
  approach to bottom-up approach
• It is a mechanism and for empowering local
  communities to know their rights and obligations
• It enables municipal officials to gain skills
  (political, administrative, community relations)
  to better manage and facilitate the involvement
  of non-state actors in local governance.

27
Private Involvement With the changes taking
place, local managers need to be capacitated to
know how to

• establish an enabling environment and conditions
  for private sector involvement,
• become enablers rather than controllers regulate
  competition
• promote fair public-private partnerships
• apply sound negotiation skills
• handle tendering and contracting
• prepare feasibility studies
• prepare and manage service contracts
• pricing and administer cost recovery
• handle labour issues
• evaluate performance

28
Improving Intergovernmental Relations and
Municipal Finance

• Local governments need to be capacitated to
  put in place sound financial management
  particularly in handling revenue sources and
  expenditures. The following measures, amongst
  others, should be considered in building
  capacity
• Clear and consistent systems of local revenues
  and expenditure
• Transparent and predictable intergovernmental
  transfers
• Prudent conditions for municipal borrowing
• Generally accepted financial accounting practices
• Sound asset management process (an accurate
  register for all assets maintenance processes to
  keep assets in good condition
• Transparent procurement practices

29
Multi-disciplinary Approach

• Given the complexity of urban issues, it is vital
  to promote a multi-disciplinary approach to
  capacity building for sustainable urban
  development.
• Unfortunately, professionals are so
  compartmentalized to the extent the they are not
  able to deal effectively with complex problems
  such as poverty, corruption, and HIV/AIDS.
• capacity building based on multi-disciplinary,
  multi-sectoral approach to city / municipal
  development and management should be promoted.

30
Action-based Policy Research

• The research should emphasise a multidisciplinary
  approach as well as participation of policy
  makers and beneficiaries to ensure ownership and
  maximum utilisation of findings and
  recommendations.

31
Civic Education Apathy is manifested in
attitudes of

• Despair and depression
• Non-involvement of people in important issues
  that affect their societies,
• Lack of interest in public affairs,
• Resignation to hopelessness.
• Considering the dynamics of transformation, there
  is need for civic and voter education to develop
  capacities and potential among citizens on
  democratic challenges and opportunities, as well
  as the need to appreciate issues of decentralised
  cooperation and coordination of local
  initiatives, power, governance, and development.

32
Everyone needs to be capacitated (examples)

• Mayors need to know how to
• engage residents in municipal affairs
  meaningfully,
• improve the resource base for their local
  authority,
• to prepare strategic plans,
• attract investors,
• establish enabling policy and institutional
  environments,
• guard against corruption,
• handle street vendors,
• engage the private sector,
• commercialise or set rates for municipal
  services,
• play a meaningful role in preventing the spread
  of HIV/AIDS
• respond to the needs of AIDS victims,
• protect the environment,
• protect children and women against abuse and
  violence,
• deal with street children.

33
Others

• Donors and Development Partners need capacity
  for them to better understand and appreciate
  local values and intelligence of their
  counterparts to avoid white elephants.
• Citizens Citizens participation, especially the
  poor need to know how to participate decision
  making and planning processes, and how to demand
  quality services, and hold local officials
  accountable. They also need to know how to leave
  in cities as responsible citizens.
• Chief Officers need to have the capacity to work
  in an integrated fashion.

34
Perspectives on Training Institutions and
Trainers

• Training Institutions and Trainers lacked
  adequate orientation to effectively participate
  in strengthening the capacity of urban local
  governments
• Historically, professional training that directly
  benefits urban local government in Africa has
  remained compartmentalized and in many ways
  disconnected from the realities on ground
• Local governance is an art and a science. However
  very few training institutions in the region have
  any qualification focusing on local government
• There are hardly training institutions have gone
  beyond the emphasis on professional training to
  look at training as a broader concept that must
  examine controversial areas as ethics, integrity,
  transparency, and corruption
• Most of the training programmes are supply-driven
• Many training institutions lack relevancy to
  their constituencies

35
Lessons Learnt

• National and local training institutions, if
  facilitated, can adequately provide capacity
  building at sufficiently large scale and with
  required continuity. They have the vantage
  position to respond to the national and local
  needs taking into account the cultural context
  and the socio-economic economic environment.
• National association of local governments
  supported by the central government and with paid
  up members are helpful and instrumental in
  capacity building especially in identifying
  training needs as well as designing and
  delivering training programmes that respond to
  local needs.

36
Lessons Learnt

• Reference and advising municipalities, through
  decentralised cooperation and twining, can be
  identified and given chance to assist those
  municipalities in need of help
• Using modern technology (videoconferencing and
  digital radio) can result into low cost expanded
  outreach for capacity building programs in local
  government and is an effective vehicle for
  knowledge sharing.
• Action based research should be an integral part
  of capacity building to improve policy
  formulation and analysis

37
Conclusions

• Capacity building does not develop by accident.
  It is a product of well-planned and implemented
  process with adequate and appropriate investment.
  Paradoxically, many central governments,
  especially in developing countries, give lack of
  adequate capacity at lower levels of the
  governance structure as the reason for not
  decentralizing without making any effort to build
  such capacity

38
Conclusions

• Yes, given the usually limited resources at the
  disposal of central governments against many
  competing demands, investing in governance
  capacity building may not seem to rank high on
  their priority list. But it is a question of
  what comes first between the chicken and the egg.